On my 96' PA the door trim above the door/windows has started to separate a bit, it looks like either the chrome strips/mouldings warped a little, or that dirt may have gotten behind them possibly.
I'll get pics ASAP, I am just trying to have all the ideas I can to get these small gaps fixed, the cheaper fix the better, as at the moment money is not in abundance.
I considered silicone to seal the tiny gaps, all I want to do is keep the water from getting behind the strips, as I am pretty sure this is a good part of the reason my rear floorboards keep getting soaked.
I did try to find the chrome strips on Nalley Buick, but was unable to find them, I am sure if I could find them they would be expensive.

Art mentioned something other than silicone, I forget what that was atm though.
I thought about trying to remove the strips and clean behind them, but I am not sure if they'd go back on easily, if at all, I have never messed with body moldings so I am not sure how they attach, I am guessing small clips..
I am up for suggestions on what to use to seal the small gaps.


I must add that I also have water getting in from the trunk break light seal area as well, but luckily I ordered new break light seals a while back, I just need to get some good weather, and some silicone to use in place of all the bad pads that were on the brake housing screws, I do not want any more leaks, rainy season soon approaches, and I cannot have my floorboards constantly soaked with an inch of water every time it rains hard.

Sounds like you need to install a bilge pump! (not good)
Gm uses a few expensive body products.
Silicone only last a few year max at that, so Polyurethane, is longer lasting and better overall.
I like to use Sika Flex marine grade. That stuff is awesome but probably $15-20 per tube
But home depot'* roofing Polyurethane, that comes in a large gun tube works almost as well and inexpensive..
Look forward to see pics William.

Make with the pictures!!!!

Got a macro pic of the separation on each side, above the rear side windows.
I am not totally convinced the water is making it to the floorboard because of this issue, but the trunk could be the only other way I know of that it could be getting in, considering that the front floorboards rarely ever get wet.
Last year the trunk took on more water than it does now, but that was because the trunk pull down motor was broke, and the trunk was not closing tight enough on the trunk seal.
The trunk stayed dry for a long time after that, then both trunk and rear floorboards started taking on water again, that is when I noticed the chrome strip separation.

I doubt that is your problem......

So the trunk is wet? Is water collecting under the spare?

Have you removed the rear seat(just the bottom)? Is it wet under the seat? The reason I ask is, if the leak is in the trunk, and it is so bad, it fills the spare tire well, if you happen to park downhill or on a steep driveway, the water will flow out of the well, under the seat and wet the rear carpet.....

With the seat out, you can easily put your hand under the carpet....is it wet? You call also remove the plastic "sills" in the door openings, to get your hand under the front carpet to see if it is wet......there are a lot of ground connections, not to mention the SDM(air bag module), that can get corroded by a wet carpet....

I know C and H cars, had problems with the weather seal in the doors, and it would wet the carpeting.......

I hated when carpeting was wet....to eliminate the mold smell, you had to remove the seats and center consoles, to get that carpet completely out to dry......then with everything out, you could thoroughly wet down the car and find the leak.....

Once the warm weather arrives, check the trunk first for a leak....will need to remove the trim from the trunk....get in there with a flashlight, close trunk lid, and have someone thoroughly wet the trunk area with a hose.......

if you find no leak......remove the plastic sills from all four door openings.....close doors......work each door one at a time.......pull the carpeting away from the door and wet the door down, all over.....if you see water at the bottom of the door, the weather seal is not sealing....door trim has to come off and seal has to be repaired or replaced....

Bonneville'* are notorious for the rear door seals to shrink/pull away from the frame and allow water to get in. I wonder if yours are doing the same thing.

I am doubtful that is it as well, as I cannot see how it could get past the inner seals.
The trunk does not take on as much water as it used to, but it did collect water under the spare, and does on occasion, it is possible it is finding a path from the trunk to the rear floorboards.
The area around the brake light housing takes on water, I read somewhere that the break light seals can fail and take in water.
When I park I am usually on a level grade.

I'll take the rear seat out ASAP, and try the hose trick, as well as get in the trunk with a flashlight, and hose down the trunk area, that is where my leak is probably coming from, but still how it gets inside the break light housing, near the bulbs, is beyond me.
A few years back I had a custom speaker box built for my trunk, the guy built it too big, and rather than have it cut down half an inch we banged on the metal that holds the seal, I thought I got it back straight, it is possible I didn't, and the leak could be due to that.
Thanks for the tips, I appreciate them, hopefully I do not have to take my front seats out, I am sure it would not hurt as there has to be a lot of mold, you can smell it a bit....

Have not gotten to check anything out yet, but I got to thinking a little more, and I am convinced the leak is the trunk, either the brake light seal, or the trunk seal, I am leaning more towards the trunk seal, but am not ruling out the brake light seals because I read somewhere that this happens with C Bodies a bit, wish I could remember where I read that..

My trunk pull down motor died a while back, and when I replaced it I am sure I adjusted it to be a tad too tight, as I can see the trunk closes about 1/8th an inch tighter than it did, and the part of the trunk near the glass is slightly raised a tad, could be due to the part at the latch being so tight now, or it could just be because one time I put too much in the trunk, and when the lid closed it could not close all the way at the top right part of it, near the glass, that is the side that is a bit more raised..
I plan to remove the trunk pull down motor and adjust it so the trunk does not pull down as much, and while I am at it I may just put the new seals on the brake light housing, I ordered them a while back from nalley buick parts, just never got around to installing them.

Attaching a pic that shows the seals I am talking about, it is number 26, I spent around 70.00 to get the left and right one..

I've noticed lately that any time it rains water is getting in the area the brake lights are housed, so I got to thinking how could it get in there, to get passed those brake seals that I figured were leaking, and it hit me, the area that the license plate goes, I am betting that is how the water is making its way in, then when I drive somewhere it is making its way to the back floorboards, I'd think it gets in when parked, but the rear sits a tad lower than the from due to where I park...
Plan to try to get in the trunk, and use a hose to see if the water is getting in where I think it is.

Interesting good luck William!
I hate water leaks, and after doing a major silicone job on My PA it is staying dry now in trunk area.
After reading this post, I just pulled the rear seat in mine after heavy rains, and all is dry there too...thank goodness.